The Wine Garden
Xrosmas Concert The season of Xrosmas had finally landed on the . It was supposed to be a time of jolly, of gift-giving, and of freedom. The world's laws be damned for this season, for people could be as hale and hearty as they'd like. Bask in the glory of good food, great wine, and exorbitant entertainment after a year of hard, toiling work. Of course, this season wasn't all it was laid out to be on the surface. To celebrate this season was actually to partake in illegal activities, for Xrosmas was a holiday mandated by the Xros Pirates in their territories. It was to worship their "God", Michael D. Shiguma and bask in the freedom that he offered the people. Therefore, people gave in the name of their God, both to the Xros, and to themselves. Well, that was one side of what the common citizen saw. If Xrosmas was a season of giving, it was also a season of taking. Those who reached the of the world, unfettered by the idea of social norms, would steal joys from the commonfolk. Purchasing people dressed in specific attire for astronomical prices, these were the buyers of the furniture known as slaves — humans that had been ripped apart from their existence and placed as nothing more than a plaything for the upper echelon of society. Even if it was a holiday brought about by Pirates, it didn't matter. There was no means of resistance. Those who trade and earn their keep off of selling fellow humans were at their peak during this season. Nothing would get in the way of their transactions, even if it meant manslaughter in the process. Of course, for every rule there was a single exception. And for every slave in the world...A Purple Pirate would be their savior! ---- Dawn broke at the dazzling island of Evergarden, where Christmas celebrations were at their most fervent. The bright orange sun broke through the darkness of night, illuminating the sky into a magnificent blue. Light spilled onto the island, where Xrosmas decorations littered the streets a plenty, as those who worked deep into the nights had retreated to their homes for a well-deserved rest. "Cock-a-doodle-doo~!" A voice penetrated the silence of the small hut in the outer corner of Evergarden's main city, where numerous other huts were lined up in a similar fashion. "Dawn has come, so we bid sleep adieu~!" The proud, feminine voice continued to sing, "Let us approach the day~ So purge exhaustion away~!" The voice of this singer belonged to none other than the and of the Purple Pirates and Eminence Extravaganza: Lockhart Phantasma. With her lithe, but strong figure, voluptuous features, and her outfit as ringleader already decked up, she truly looked the part. While she had been covert in Paradise for some time, after the rapid rise in infamy of her childhood friend and fellow Purple Pirate, Benjamin Tabart, she had sung her way into the seas of the . Thereafter, she formed an alliance with the Titan Pirates, acting as external members of their 2nd Division. As of right now, she was attending the extremely popular "Xrosmas Parade" of Evergarden, where it is rumored over 100 entertainers will be making their name on the stage. As a new entrant to the New World, this was Eminence Extravaganza's debut performance. To ensure that nothing went wrong on the day of the performance, Phantasma was drilling her performers' training double-time. Boom, something akin to a rocket burst out of the top of one hut, it hit against a nearby building and seemed to be folded like a ball. Ricocheting several times, it managed to avoid the other huts spread throughout the small area. Finally, it landed just before Phantasma's feet, stretching out and revealing the form of Auguste Pierre, still in his sleeping clothes, which compromised of teddy-bear baggy clothes. His white skin and purple hair glistened in the morning light, expression peaceful- "AH, AH, AH, WHAT IS IT?! A COC- NO I MEAN, CHICKEN?!" Eyes shooting open, Pierre yelled into the daylight, body bolting up and making him stand. He found Phantasma a small distance from him, weeping, "P-Phantasma-san... I dreamed about a meanie purple chicken..." In another hut just a few steps away from the two, the sound of snoring could easily be heard. The hut belonged to no other person but Dore Theo, who was still very unfamiliar with waking up on time. However, his captain's voice managed to penetrate his dreams enough for him to lazily open an eye. But he had been scolded before about this, and he was extremely aware of the anger of Captain Phantasma. This would be the trigger which would spring him into the actions of getting himself ready. Grabbing his book and pencil, since he was the playwright, Theo ran into place just beside his fellow crew member. "Morning, Cap'n!" "UUUUUGHHHH, 5 MORE MINUTES." You could hear cat like yawns and growls emanating from the hut directly next to Pierre's. "Mornin already, sheesh can't a bitch get some sleep around here, you know I can't get into character when I haven't gotten enough sleep, Phantasma." The girl arose from her bed, her hair matted from sleeping badly. "Fuck, I forgot to tie up my hair, this weave was expensive, now its all matted. I BLAME YOU FOR THIS, PHANTASMA." A pillow can be seen flying through her door, aimed at Pierre though her true target was phantasma. The girl now fully awoken lifted her sheets and proceded to move to her nightstand, leaving her bed. She took a seat, she began brushing her hair and doing her makeup all at the same time, it was amazing at her ability to multitask, she was done within minutes. "Finally, back to normal, couldn't go out lookin busted." She smacked her face a few times lightly, before leaving she changed her clothes and threw on a small red jacket. As she exited her Hut and entered the line it was clear this was Letitia Dolce, trapeze artist and dancer in the Purple Pirates. "All right Phantasma, I'm ready, I'll get in character once we hit the stage, so wassup?" Fortunately their beloved captain remained outside of the huts. For as soon as her lovely singing wafted from the great outdoors into the hut, two knives buried themselves in the entryway frame. A sleepy, if vexed Caroline rolled over, greeted by streaming sunlight. She hissed. "Why is our Captain so damn cheerful at this hour?" asked no one in particular. She rolled out of bed, already dressed from last night. Blinking away sleep, she yawned, before staring at the entryway. She'd find her knives stuck in a perfect line, an millimeter to the left of the door itself. "Niceee." The woman stood up, corralling her wild mane of purple hair into a ponytail before plucking the two knives from the location. The lass frowned at one of them. "Too dull." She tossed it into her bag without a second thought, producing another knife. Exiting the hut, Caroline had only one worry on her mind, "Please tell me you have an actual chicken Tasma...I'm starving over here.." Sage was quick to appear soon after, standing behind Carol. “A chicken?! What a meal that would be! Killed live, and consumed while it breathed for the last time! Such a tragic way to go.” He announced, being as flamboyant as usual. Sage unsheathed his blade, tossing it into the air. “After I consume the chicken,” he began. The blade twirled circles in the air, before falling back towards the ground where Sage gracefully snatched it by the hilt. “The show will commence!” Another woman, with artificial rabbit ears, was seen coming into the tent, while keeping the tent door open for somebody else. Yawning slightly, she rubbed her eyes. "Y'all are way too awake for this. And I'm supposed to be the bunny around here...Anyways, I think we've all gathered." This was Xena, the Fire Breather of the Purple Pirates. Although right now, she did not have her necessary gear. Outside the tent was a woman with a very apparent bust, but otherwise innocent expression on her face. Bearing strong resemblance to Phantasma, she was her younger sister, Lockhart Magoria. However, her most distinctive feature was no doubt the monstrous robotic hands that she had been seated upon. Their size surpassed her own stature, and no doubt carrying them required a monstrous amount of strength, though no strain was visible in her eyes. "I-I'm here too Phantasma-nee! What did you need?" She asked innocently, as she smiled towards the other crewmembers who gathered. "You are all here~ This calls for a cheer~!" Phantasma lyrically rejoiced as she pranced around the room, no doubt angering her crewmates. "Hip hip, hoorah!" Sage yelled, piggybacking off of Phantasma's cheer. The eccentric man leaped around, tossing flower petals across the deck. Suddenly, a sombre expression was visible on her face. "You all know why we're here..." The melody in her voice quietened, "Xrosmas, in the New World, is the most ripe time for the trading of slaves. And we, as the Purple Pirates, must stop this trade." Waving her wand in the air, Phantasma continued. "As the Eminence Extravaganza, we have been invited to the Xrosmas Concert to entertain people. But you all know exactly what this concert is. It is an extravagant attempt at grabbing newer entertainers and selling them to the slave traders. It is orchestrated by the vile Xros Pirates, after all!" Phantasma's voice was pronounced, commanding everyone to listen to her. Surprisingly, she had no time for antics today. "We're here to fulfill our goals as members of the Purple Pirates, but also, as representatives of the Titan Pirates 2nd Division." Phantasma closed her eyes, and was reminded of their gruel training by the 2nd Division's Captain and Vice Captain, in which they all awoke and trained in the use of Haki, and enhanced their own combat abilities by significant margins. "We are to intercept this Underworld transaction with the Xros Pirates and cut off a part of their resources, so that we have a greater chance at taking down Michael D. Shiguma for good. But, we're not here just for the Titan Pirates. We're here for ourselves. Our duty is to free those who are, or are to become slaves. And...we are going to help Tabart-kun until we are able to see him face-to-face. Is that understood?!" "O-of course, Phantasma-nee! W-we all owe Tabart-kun a lot...we can't let him fight this battle alone!" Magoria responded passionately, her eyes flaring up. There was a lot that Magoria needed to say to Tabart. This time, she couldn't let him go on alone again. "Yes, Captain Phantasma!" Xena reported seriously, "We're going to put on a show, and then in the shadow, swoop to our success, just as we always have!" A loud rumbling was heard as a large badger emerged from behind a hut. The creature stood up on it's back legs, it's form seemingly shifting. The badger let out a loud groan before shifting once more, this time into a tall, muscular man. This man was Guddom Barsuk, one of the newer members of the Eminence Extravaganza. "Sorry Captain," Barsuk stretched and yawned before continuing, "I missed part of the speech. Can you give me the short version? Sage leaped next to Barsuk, smiling. "Ah, it's nothing more than the usual! Bamboozle an audience, and do our crafty stuff in secret!" he announced, giving him the 'short version' he had asked for. "Duh, there's nothing like crashing someone's party Tasma; makes for a good show," Carol started, twirling her dagger before pointing it at the late arrival. "Jeez, do you always sleep like a badger Bar? Go to bed like a damn person for once; maybe you'll be up in time. Long story short, we're here to blow some minds, free some people, then get the hell out of dodge; you know, the usual." Barsuk groaned at the insult directed towards his badger form preference. "It's more comfortable. It's like being wrapped up in three fluffy blankets. You should try it, plus it could possibly prevent that stick from getting shoved further up your ass." Barsuk hissed the last few words before sitting down. As he sat his coat enveloped his arms, the design matching that of a honey badger. "Do we have an actual plan? Or is that it?" She smirked in response, tapping the blade on his head. "Maybe I should skin you while you're sleeping then; I've been in the market for a fur coat," the knife-thrower retorted before leaning against the wall of a nearby building. "Well, you wanted the short story and you got it; if you want the actual plan, get off your lazy sleeping ass and show up on time like the rest of us." "Quiet." Phantasma spoke intently, silencing the room entirely with her presence. "We don't have time for bickering, you two. We have a plan of action to go over." Phantasma whipped her wand once again in the air, before continuing. "We are posing as members of the Eminence Extravaganza at the moment in order to be recognized by the Slave Traders — the Vladious Club. They are overseeing the event, as well as the capture and distribution of the Entertainer Slaves." Phantasma paused for a moment, and she threw a copy of the organization's image to the group. "Be watchful for this sign. This is the organization we're dealing with. They are one of the top slave traders in the New World at the moment, but this is a chance for us to deal a crippling blow to them." Phantasma smirked, almost maliciously. "We shall enter their slave ring by posing as harmless performers. And then, while their guard is down...we shall break their plan from the inside, bailing out all the slaves at once. Though, there is no doubt to be resistance, I am sure that with our training, we can confidently escape." Phantasma then paused for a moment, as she drew the insignia of the four Yonko with her wand. "If we are successful, we will disastrously lower the credibility of the Vladious Club to the Yonko and beyond as slave traders. They will no longer be trusted, and no longer be capable of large-scale slavery. And once they have been removed off the radar of the higher-ups, we can move in to destroy them entirely with the assistance of the Titan Pirates, removing one of our many oppositions." Phantasma placed her wand down and took a seat. "Any objections~? Any questions~?" "Sounds good, though will we have some signal for when to cut loose? And who will be in charge of doing what? Much as I love a little chaos, it doesn't help anyone if our asses are caught." Pierre was another who raised his arm frantically, "U-Um, what if they use the other people-" To the right and to the left, he glanced hurriedly, quick breaths leaving his mouth. "I-I don't want to let t-these bad people h-hurting other slaves, Phantasma-san..." Pierre uttered, mouth almost twisting as he held himself. "A-Also, don't fight you a-all, please!!" He was no person to fully understand these kinds of plans, yet, depending on the instructions, Piere could sure as hell follow them. Three squirrel-like creatures ran from Dolce's hut, they donned colorful outfits with color-coded accessories. "Took y'all long enough to get ready." Dolce pet them all individually, two sat on her shoulders, one sat on her head. "Yo, Phantasma, what are the odds of this plan actually working? What I mean is, do you think that we can all truly make it out alive?" Dolce slightly slouched back, hands crossed, her aura was much more serious than just a few minutes ago. "I mean I'm all for saving the slaves, and I'll ride into any battle with you, guns a blazing but, I'd just like to know if I could die in the process. Just asking so I can write my obituary now, no shade but I don't trust you guys enough to honor my beauty." Dolce laughed, she wasn't the type to fear death, her questions where only to get a reaction out of some of her crewmates, for her own research purposes of course. Sage nodded solemnly, although it was clear he was exaggerating. "Excellent plan! We shall un-bedazzle the Club's reputation! Understood!" "We will all be infiltrating the slaves as entertainers. From there, the job of allowing the slaves to escape will be left to Sage, Dolce, Pierre and Caroline. The rest of you will act in-tandem with me in order to help the other team's efforts, by defeating the leader of this whole operation. They are no doubt an Executive of this Vladious Club...but I couldn't find information on who the leader of this particular organization was." Phantasma relayed the plan blatantly towards all of her crewmates. "Is that clear~? If so, let us cheer~!" She exclaimed vibrantly once more. ---- Just as morning struck, employees gathered almost immediately in preparations of the upcoming concert happening tomorrow. Setting up the outdoor stage with equipment, adjusting the decorations, testing the sound tracks and filling the stands with enough supplies to last to the end of the festival concert. With the combined efforts of the festival comity as well as the employees of the Vladious Club they were also able to install various theme park rides making the festival all together almost as joyful as . As everyone was hard at work on the festival. On one of the top floors of a building not far away, a tall woman with short green hair was sitting on a chair watching their progress through a window with an emotionless gaze. "What is the meaning of this?" a voice interrupted as a chubby looking man approached her. He is the man who is in charge of running the entire festival. "I was informed i would be speaking with the executive director, who the hell are you?" He asked with an attitude. The woman spun around in her chair to face the man and stood up. "What you have been informed about it true, but my apologize for he felt meeting such as these were rather boring so he skipped it. I am the manager of Coin Finance club building, Elizabeth Coin, you hired my club to host this concert. "He's bored of it? What kind of establishment does that imply?" He questioned, finding it rather bizarre. "Fine whatever, are the preparations ready yet?" He questioned. "I don't care, it'll be done when its done." She turned away, not giving any concern towards him. "Uh what? But the concert is tomorrow!" He shouted. "Your too nosy, be quiet." She interrupted. "Your customer service is terrible!" He yelled angrily. It didnt take them long enough to get serious. "Enough of this. Now the stage is looking promising, have all the entertainers arrived yet?" "Yes we've hired the best entertainers all over the New World. The last group have just arrived and will be settled before curtain time, from there they will work with a handful of our entertainers as well." She answered in a dull tone. "Very good with this hall of an audience, Shiguma will definitely be pleased. Now then shall we go and discuss the price of this service? Since your executive director is indisposed i'll have to settle it with you instead." He led her into his office for further discussion. Outside the building, during all the scattering of preparations, a man with a long dark cape and fancy get up leads them in the preparation set ups. "Alright everyone i want this stage finished by tomorrow morning. You there, put that box down behind the stage, are the lightning set to a specific level? Good i want our audience to see performers not the blinding light. Are all of our entertains arrived yet? What about the Eminence Extravaganza?" He was juggling all of these tasks around him perfectly with no trouble whatsoever, such is the role of the head of the auctioneer department, the stage is where he belong and knows what needs to be done in order to make a stage that wows the crowd. "I've been told they landed on the island they should be arriving any moment now Mr. Amazo, sir" An employee stopped to inform him. "Excellent. And i see our entertainers Daisy, Crystal and the others are practicing in the back rooms. Excellent at this rate we should be right on time." He said cheerfully. Proud in his hard working men. "Hey! Amazo." A voice called out causing him to glance over. A scary looking boy with messy silver hair walks over to him. "You think you can just take my property without asking and expect to get away with it? I should tear your organs out for that one." "Ah Deval, i believe i left you at stand by." He said with a smile but with a unwanted tone of voice. "Dont give me that crap." He grabbed his suit collar. "you stool my stuff." He called out furiously. "I believe i was given permission by your department head to use the materials of your department, which i did. Or are you under the impression that everything belongs to you simply because you are put in charge of it all?" He informed him, not even batting an eye in the face of this violent brute. "Now return to your station and wait on stand by like you were told to." "Guh grr." Deval was at a lose for words until he shoved him back and walked away. "You better do your job right and stay out of my way." He threatened as he walked away. Amazo brushed him off as he adjusted his now crumbled up suit collar. Category:Ash9876 Category:Ripcordkill345 Category:Shoshiki Category:DamonDraco